Chamber opposes school tax hike

The Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce came out Friday in opposition to a 31-mill property tax increase proposed by the Terrebonne Parish School Board.

Xerxes Wilson Staff Writer

The Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce came out Friday in opposition to a 31-mill property tax increase proposed by the Terrebonne Parish School Board.The business group cited the board's lack of a detailed plan for how the money would be spent as the main reason for its opposition."Without a detailed implementation plan, budget and measurable outcomes demonstrating how this significant tax increase will further strengthen the school system, the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce cannot support the $25 million annual tax increase proposed by the School Board," said Jennifer Armand, the chamber's board chairwoman.Voters across Terrebonne Parish will decide May 4 whether to approve the increase. The School Board already collects a 9.27-mill property tax, and school officials say the increase would raise the tax to 40.27 mills, about the state average.Schools Superintendent Philip Martin has said the system will use the money for employee raises and building improvements, but critics, which now include the chamber, have complained the plan is vague and lacks sufficient public input."Chamber members have told us that a tax without a detailed plan does not provide the level of accountability needed to assure them that the increased revenue will adequately fill the instructional, staffing and infrastructure needs of the school system," Armand said. "We owe it to the 19,000 students, 2,300 school system employees and property owners throughout the parish to push for development of a detailed plan and acceptable funding mechanism that can be championed by the business community and property owners and will address these needs for many years to come."The board's 9.27-mill tax costs the owner of a $150,000 house about $70 a year. The increase, if approved, would add another $232 to the bill.The board also receives local sales tax revenue and gets most of its money from state taxes.In opposing the tax, the chamber notes that the property taxes the board collects raise about $7.5 million a year. At 40.27 mills, the tax would raise about $32.5 million. Armand said the chamber's board voted at its regular March meeting to endorse a recommendation from its Education Committee to oppose the tax. The board cast the vote after the chamber asked school officials numerous times for a detailed budget and spending plan for the tax. The chamber also offered to help school officials come up with a concrete plan, an offer that still stands, Armand said."The chamber recognizes and appreciates the current challenges of the Terrebonne Parish School District, especially in the face of increased cuts and mandates from the state and federal government," Armand said. "We also believe that the best way to meet these challenges of growing a top-performing school system is to plan first and tax second."Martin disagreed with the assertion that the system's plan is vague."When I say we are going to put a new wing on Mulberry (Elementary), I can't tell you the color of the bricks," Martin said. "We have a plan, and I am not sure what specifics are lacking." The School Board has a two-page document on its website outlining the initiatives it will undertake if the proposal is approved by voters. In some cases, the document does not outline specifics for an initiative, and costs for construction projects are not provided. Cost estimates have been done for each project outlined by the document and can be provided, Martin said. Martin also noted the millage is dedicated. So, if voters approve the tax, 11 mills will be dedicated to construction projects, and 20 mills will be dedicated to salaries and instructional programs. Statewide, Terrebonne gets less money in local taxes than most districts its size, Martin said. The parish spent less money per student than any other parish in the state during the 2010-11 school year."We will still be the lowest in the region (if the tax passes)," Martin said. "We are currently last at the very bottom."